After making the switch from the CrossCar category, Romet Tsirna continues his discovery of top-level rallycross behind the wheel of his FC2. Following victory in the Pro-Am final during Race 2 at Valkenswaard, the Estonian driver now heads into the next stage of his programme with OMSE determined to take another step forward.

Although the first encouraging results are already starting to appear, Tsirna admits adapting to the 550-horsepower FC2 remains a major challenge, especially on a circuit as fast and technical as Tierp.

“I still feel a little nervous. The intensity of this car on a track like this is honestly pretty incredible,” Romet explained.

After achieving his initial target in the Netherlands by winning in the Pro-Am category, the Estonian is naturally beginning to raise his ambitions.

“At Valkenswaard, the main goal was simply to achieve a good result in Pro-Am. We had set progressive targets and the idea was to move forward step by step. Now my ambitions are naturally starting to evolve. From here, I want to reach the Pro final and make the step from the semi-finals into the top three.”

Having previously competed in CrossCar machinery with Pace Motorsport, Tsirna is gradually discovering the very specific demands of the FC2 category.

“This Tierp circuit is completely different from what we experienced at Valkenswaard. Over there, the track was extremely technical, very tight and there was absolutely no room for mistakes. In CrossCar, everything happened so quickly through the sequences that you barely had time to breathe behind the wheel. Here, it’s a completely different challenge.”

The long, high-speed gravel corners have quickly become one of the biggest challenges facing the Estonian driver.

“These fast gravel corners are simply unbelievable. Honestly, I didn’t even think it was possible to carry that much speed through this kind of corner. In CrossCar, I always felt much more in control. With the FC2, the level of performance is completely different and I need to adapt as quickly as possible. The speed you can carry through the corners and the way the car behaves are really impressive.”

In that context, Tsirna prefers to build his pace progressively rather than forcing the issue too early.

“The objective right now is simply to keep learning heat after heat. During the first practice session, it was difficult to immediately find the right rhythm. The second session already felt much better. Now I need to reproduce that level of performance consistently on every lap.”

The Estonian driver also knows that data analysis and the work carried out alongside the team will play a key role in his development throughout the weekend.

“I’m really going to take things one heat at a time. Tonight, we’ll be able to calmly analyse all the data and hopefully come back stronger tomorrow. Sunday will represent another completely new challenge. Honestly, I’m learning a huge amount this weekend.”

“The work with the team and the data analysis help me enormously. For me, there are still so many things to understand: gearbox ratios, knowing exactly which gear to use in every corner and identifying the braking points precisely all require a lot of learning. During the first free practice session, all of that was still quite difficult to manage.”

“On the other hand, after analysing Oliver Eriksson’s data, the situation immediately became very different. I already had a much clearer understanding of which gears to use and that allowed me to focus much more on the lines and braking points. With a team and team-mates operating at this level, sharing data is incredibly valuable. Without that, I think I would still be much further away from the current pace.”

While he is still discovering several circuits on the RallyX calendar, Tsirna already believes some tracks will suit his profile far better.

“Circuits like Valkenswaard leave absolutely no room for mistakes. Personally, I’m really looking forward to tracks like Älvsbyn, which I already know very well and where I’ve had the opportunity to drive the FC2 before. It’s a fantastic circuit.”

“Honkajoki will also be a completely new experience for me, but I’ve heard it’s a very fast and flowing track. Right now, the biggest challenge for me remains understanding the limit of the car through those fast gravel corners.”